Seal
Phoca vitulina
Characteristics
- Origin
Very widespread: North Atlantic, North Pacific, North Sea
- Habitat
prefers coastal areas with sandbanks and rocks
- Diet
Fish is their vegetables: Flat fish, salmon, cod, sardines, herring … young seals also eat crabs, mussels and squid.
- Status
approx. 315,000
- Size
Male: 170 cm
Female: 140 cm - Weight
Male: 150 kg
Female: 100 kg - Gestation period
11 months
- Achievable age
up to 25 years in the wild, up to 30 years in human care
Threat Categories of IUCN
Did you know that ...
...seals can swim up to 35 km/h fast and can dive 200 metres deep,
...they can perfectly orient themselves in the water with their sensitive whiskers
...and that the layer of fat, which serves as energy reserve and insulation layer, is called blubber?
